Teen and Staff Reviews

Teen Review
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Vanishing Half

By Brit Bennett
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Earvin C.
May 21, 2022

The Vanishing Half is set in the 20th century and follows the lives of twins--Desiree and Stella--born into a colorist town named Mallard. As the twins split ways, each to her own adventures, they both share their own unique stories and reveal the trauma involved with their youth. However, despite their differences and their split, they always manage to find each other. This book does a great job of showing aspects of internal discrimination within a community, whether it be race or gender.

Teen Review
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

By Holly Jackson
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Eva K.
May 21, 2022

This book is so incredibly written. Nothing in the book feels too boring and everything is set perfectly. There are many characters in the book so it can be a little confusing trying to figure out who is who but nonetheless the author does a good job at making sure that we are able to differentiate between them. This is overall a very good book, has a mystery theme, and several plot twists to keep you entertained.

Teen Review
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451

By Ray Bradbury
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Eva K.
May 21, 2022

Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian reality novel. This book was a confusing read for me since all of the topics and themes in the book were hard to understand. It was a difficult book to understand because several of the vocabulary words that were used in the novel were confusing and I had to look them up frequently. Overall it’s a good read for someone who likes dystopian fiction and is trying to explore new genres.

Teen Review
Queen of Ice by Devika Rangachari

Queen of Ice

By Devika Rangachari
Star Rating
★★★★

Rated by
hpat
May 18, 2022

Queen of Ice is an amazing quick read. Once you pick it up, it’s difficult to put down. The book follows Didda as she rises from a timid girl to the ruler of her land. It is a perfect balance of friendship, heartbreak, and trust. Queen of Ice represents women empowerment, and the importance of confidence. The book moves at a pretty fast pace so, there are rarely any boring parts. The book is based in India so naturally, it mildly represents Indian culture. This representation makes the book even more interesting and allows the reader to place themselves in that situation.

Teen Review
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary

By Andy Weir
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Mariam S.
May 16, 2022

In the sci-fi novel Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, former high school science teacher Ryland Grace wakes in a strange hospital, fresh from a coma and bleary with various medical drugs. Once he recovers a little, he notices several strange things: first, his companions in the odd medical wing are dead and he’s devastated. But he can’t really recall how he knows them, or why they’re here. He can’t remember much at all, really - not even his own name.

Teen Review
Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Lock Every Door

By Riley Sager
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Eva K.
May 16, 2022

Lock Every Door is an exceptionally written horror/thriller novel. Riley Sager is very well known for writing thriller books, and this might just be one of the best written books by Riley. The storyline of the book is very interesting since it gives you insight on multiple characters’ perspectives. You not only get to feel what all the characters are feeling, but you also get an insight into their lives and how each character is so vastly different than the other.

Teen Review
Zodiac Unmasked by Robert Graysmith

Zodiac Unmasked

By Robert Graysmith
Star Rating
★★★

Rated by
Eva K.
May 16, 2022

The Zodiac Unmasked is a true crime documentary type of book. This book is more on the informational side since it gives all the facts, data and research that went into the investigation for the zodiac killer. This book is good for anyone who is trying to learn more about true crime and all the work and process that goes into catching these killers. Since the book is more on the informational side it can be a harder read but nonetheless it is a good book.

Teen Review
Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Vicious

By V.E. Schwab

Rated by
Anonymous
May 13, 2022

Vicious is an incredible read that grips the reader all throughout. Each character is flawed, if not evil. The book takes you on a journey where you cannot side with either of the characters since you know deep down that they both are not good people. This story of two best friends turned enemies is heartbreaking as it represents the fragility of relationships and how wanting to get to the top may leave you miserable. Vicious mainly follows Victor Vale and how he sets out to seek revenge.

Teen Review
Howl by Shaun David Hutchinson

Howl

By Shaun David Hutchinson
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Tyler H.
May 13, 2022

After Virgil’s parent’s divorce he finds himself in a small town in Florida where he sticks out like a sore thumb. One night he stumbles into the streets, bruised and bloody. Virgil was attacked by a monster in the forest. But nobody believes that he was attacked like he says. Suddenly, the most painful night of his life turns into something he gets constant ridicule for. Grappling with this and trying to sort out what attacked him is hard. He must be careful though; he doesn’t want to become a monster himself. But after that night things just aren’t right...

Teen Review
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

Fahrenheit 451

By Ray Bradbury
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by
Anonymous
May 12, 2022

Fahrenheit 451 teaches its readers of the importance of intellectual and critical thinking. It's set in a society that has banned books as they are believed to brainwash its subjects. The book rejects superficial thinking and advocates for gaining knowledge. Fahrenheit 451 is heavy on figurative language which allows the reader to ponder and interpret the text in their own way.

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